Archive for June 17th, 2015

Ever since The Beatles came onto the scene more than half a century ago there has been a whole industry around them that goes way beyond their music and the indelible mark they left on our culture. In that time there have been many books written and many figures in their sphere have been labelled as “the fifth Beatle.”

Perhaps no one has more claim to that title than Brian Epstein, the guy who more or less discovered the Fab Four and managed to help make them the icons that they became. However, behind that glittering success is a backstory as compelling as the movement he help promote. Mr. Epstein was troubled by personal demons and ultimately died way too young. Now, Mr. Epstein’s story is being told in the wonderful graphic novel, The Fifth Beatle by Vivek J. Tiwary with illustrations by Andrew C Robinson.

About The Fifth Beatle by Vivek J. Tiwary with illustrations by Andrew C Robinson: “The Fifth Beatle is the untold true story of Brian Epstein, the visionary manager who discovered and guided the Beatles—from their gigs in a tiny cellar in Liverpool to unprecedented international stardom. Yet more than merely the story of ‘The Man Who Made The Beatles,’ The Fifth Beatle is an uplifting, tragic, and ultimately inspirational human story about the struggle to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Brian Epstein was homosexual when it was a felony to be so in the United Kingdom, Jewish at a time of anti-Semitism, and from Liverpool when it was considered just a dingy port town. He helped spread the Beatles’ message of love to the entire world, yet died painfully lonely at the young age of thirty-two, consumed by staggering ambition and the endless struggles that came with it. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, The Fifth Beatle not only reveals an important, unsung chapter in the history of the Beatles—but it will inspire anyone who’s ever dared to believe in a dream.”

One may think that the graphic novel genre is not a serious medium. However, in the very capable hands of author Vivek J. Tiwary and illustrator by Andrew C Robinson, The Fifth Beatle brings Mr. Epstein’s story to life in a way that is fitting for a man whose story need to be told and whose contributions must be remembered.